


Chosen, Protected, & Saved

by Kmomof4



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Inspired by The Golden Child, Kidnapping, Magic, Minor Character Death, True Love's Kiss, temporary major character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kmomof4/pseuds/Kmomof4
Summary: A little boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer. Demonic forces will stop at nothing to possess it. It's up to Killian Jones, PI to find him and save him before it's too late.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Friendship Emma Swan/Regina Mills, Henry Mills & Emma Swan
Comments: 53
Kudos: 31
Collections: Captain Swan Movie Marathon





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again, all!! 
> 
> I'm back with a new fic, inspired by the 1986 Eddie Murphy film, The Golden Child. It's been so much fun adapting it to the Once universe and I hope you like the result! All the love and thanks in the world to profdanglais for beta services and HollyeLeigh for her never ending patience with helping me brainstorm plot points and all her encouragement!!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you'll let me know what you think!

The cloud of grey smoke dissipated from around Rufio and his companion. He looked around and felt a wave of nostalgia that he hid with a sneer as he took in the obvious domain of a small boy. Disney plush toys shared space with fantastical Lego creations on the bookshelves that weren’t filled with books on all topics. _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ and other fantasy novels stood next to _Star Trek_ comics and nonfiction titles on dinosaurs and volcanoes. As his gaze moved to the walls, Captain America and Iron Man dominated. Along with a signed poster of Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. The nightlight sitting on the nightstand projecting the night sky on the ceiling of the room illuminated his sight just enough to take all this in before his gaze fell on the lump on the bed covered with a classic _Star Wars_ comforter with only a mop of brown hair visible on the pillow.

He turned to Felix who raised his finger to his lips as they tiptoed closer to the bed. Just as he reached it, a small hand reached out from within and grabbed him around the wrist. He tried to jerk away before a profound sense of joy and peace flooded him. All he wanted to do was sit down on the floor, stare up at the ceiling, and remember his own dreams of exploring the cosmos from when he was a child. He turned back toward the other boy who was about to pounce on their target. Felix had pulled his knife out as well as the cuff that would prevent the boy from using his magic. With a loud hiss that he wasn’t even aware came from him, he threw himself at his partner, trying to disarm him. He couldn’t allow this little boy to be taken.

A burning sensation bloomed in his gut stealing his breath. He stumbled back away from Felix, who sported a manic grin on his face, and looked down. Blood poured from around the knife that was still lodged in his midsection. He fell to his knees and looked back up the other boy. Felix reached down and jerked the knife out, forcing a pained grunt out of him.

“I knew you were soft,” Felix whispered harshly. “And when he touched you, I was ready.”

Rufio fell to his side, his lifeblood spilling on the floor. He could hear rather than see the struggle that was going on above him. Felix hissed again for the boy to hold still or he’d kill him. His vision was starting to go blurry as the sounds of the fight suddenly stopped and a cloud of magic enveloped them all, transporting them back to the lair of the Dark One.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry has been kidnapped. Emma enlists Killian Jones, PI to find him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Thank you so much for coming along on this ride with me! I hope you enjoy!

Emma Swan came down the stairs and headed toward the kitchen for her morning coffee fix. She expected to find six year old Henry watching PBS Kids since he was usually up before her. She glanced into the den only to see the room was empty and the tv was off.

Puzzled, she turned on the coffee maker and headed back upstairs to see if he’d actually slept in for once. The bathroom door was open, and the light was off, so he definitely wasn’t in there. She opened the door to his bedroom. It took a moment before her brain caught up to what she was seeing.

Henry was gone.

Everything in his room was in its place except his comforter. It wasn’t unheard of for Henry to wake in the night and go back to sleep on the sofa in the den. But if he had done that, he’d still be awake by now and have the tv on. Then she saw the large blood stain near his bed and her heart rate went into overdrive. Nausea rose in her throat and she swallowed hard trying to hold down the bile.

She struggled to control her breathing as panic threatened to overwhelm her. She could feel small traces of what felt like Henry’s magic still hovering in the room. What was she going to do? Her breathing hitched as tears filled her eyes. Henry was gone. There was blood on his floor. The sheriff had no experience with kidnappings and would do little more than make eyes at her instead of actually investigating and finding Henry. Her mind turned to her best friend and teacher, Regina Mills. She’d be able to track Henry and find out who’d taken him. She found Henry’s favorite scarf that he wore all year round no matter how hot it got. She looked around one more time, making sure she wasn’t missing anything, before she teleported herself to Regina’s.

~*~*~

“Regina. Regina! Wake up! He’s gone!”

Regina swam up from the sweet abyss of sleep at the panic and urgency she heard in her friend’s voice.

“What are you do. . . Who’s gone,” she mumbled, groggily.

“Henry,” Emma said. That brought Regina’s muddled thoughts into razor sharp clarity.

“What?” she snapped.

Emma took a deep breath, still trying to bring her breathing under control. Speaking as calmly and coherently as she could, she pushed the panic back down.

“Henry is missing. He’s usually up before I am, so when I came down this morning and didn’t see him anywhere, I went to his bedroom. He was gone, his comforter was gone, and there was blood on the floor.” Her voice hitched as the panic tried to come back up.

Regina swung out of bed and grabbed her robe, tying it around her. “Was there any sign of forced entry? Either in his bedroom or anywhere else in the house?” She led the way down to the kitchen where she turned on the coffee maker. She knew she was gonna need the caffeine boost.

“Not that I saw,” Emma replied. “When I realized he was gone, I came straight here. But there was some residual magic in his room. It felt like his though.”

“Did you bring anything of his that I can track him with?”

Emma nodded and held up Henry’s favorite gray and red striped scarf. It had been knitted by Granny, the proprietor of a little diner in town, and for whatever reason, Henry had latched onto it almost like a security blanket. Regina was almost surprised that he didn’t actually sleep with it.

The Swans had arrived in Storybrooke about five years ago. It was about a year after moving to the magical town that Emma’s magic had awoken and Regina had begun training her in its use. In all her years of study and practice, she’d never seen the kind of raw power that she saw in Emma Swan. She had the potential to be an extremely powerful practitioner of white magic. So when Henry’s abilities manifested (his Heart of the Truest Believer produced an actual X-Wing fighter in their back yard after seeing the latest _Star Wars_ movie), she was hardly surprised and began training him as well. It had only been a little over a year and most of their sessions consisted of self-defense, since she was well aware that the forces of evil in this world would be very interested in him and his abilities. Emma had insisted, and she had agreed, that age five was a little young to start him on actual, practical magic. Unfortunately, her training apparently hadn’t helped him last night.

After getting her coffee and leading the way into her study, she opened the cabinet where her tracking potion was kept. Emma handed her the scarf and Regina was suddenly in a different place. She stood in a hallway with a door in front her with the name _Killian Jones, Private Investigator_ emblazoned on the frosted glass. She turned to her left and saw a very handsome man with black hair, blue eyes, and dark scruff tinged with ginger coming down the hallway. He pulled out his key and opened the door in front of her. Even in the vision she could feel the buzz of magic around him. Her eyes narrowed. To her knowledge, there were only pockets of magical places in this world, and this place was not one of them. How could he have such powerful magic in the Land Without Magic? A long forgotten memory tickled the edges of her mind, but she concentrated on the man in front of her instead of trying to grasp at it.

As Killian Jones disappeared through the door, Regina found herself back in her home again. She shook her head and looked at Emma.

“You saw something didn’t you?” Emma asked, grabbing her arm. “Did you see Henry? Where is he?” Regina could see the panic rising up again in her eyes.

“Yes, I saw something,” she began, “No, it wasn’t Henry.”

The despair on Emma’s face nearly brought tears to her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to her friend. “But I did see someone who, I think, I’m pretty sure, can help.” She set down her potion, opened her laptop, and typed “Killian Jones, Private Investigator” into the search bar. In seconds she had a website, telephone number, and address. Boston. Just two hours away. Perfect. After printing out directions, she handed them to Emma. “Here. In case GPS goes screwy. Find Killian Jones.” She nodded in her certainty. “He’ll help us find Henry.”

Emma sputtered. “But who is he? Why him? What do you know about him?”

“Nothing yet. Beyond the fact that I saw him when I touched Henry’s scarf. But I’ve got an inkling. I need to do some research to make 100% sure.”

“Okay, but what about tracking him? Can you still use his scarf to see where he is?”

“Not likely,” Regina said. “Magic has rules. And when you’re dealing with non-magical items, they can only be used once. Since the scarf is not magic and it’s shown me this man, I won’t be able to use it again to find him. Killian Jones is our best bet. He was shown to me for a reason. He will find Henry.”

Emma took a deep breath. She wasn’t quite ready to trust this unknown man to find her son, but she trusted Regina implicitly. If Regina said this Killian Jones would help, then she believed her.

Emma’s chin trembled and her eyes filled with tears. Regina reached out and drew her friend into a comforting hug. “We have to find him, Regina,” Emma whispered. “I can’t live without him.”

“I know, Emma.” Regina drew back and looked her in the eyes. “And we will find him. Let’s get back to his room, you call and make an appointment with Jones. He’ll be fine, Emma. Even if Henry is unable to use his magic right now, the protection spell that I’ve placed over him will hold.” Emma nodded her head and wiped the tears from her face before Regina waved her hand and transported them both to Henry’s bedroom.

Emma stepped outside to call Killian Jones as Regina looked around. The sizable bloodstain on the carpet was alarming, but when she bent and held her hand out over it, she could discern no magical properties in the blood. Whoever it belonged to had no magic of their own. Closing her eyes and opening her Seer’s eye, Regina could see the threads of magic remaining in the room. Henry’s was a bright green, almost chartreuse. While much darker and fainter, she also found evidence of her old teacher, the Dark One.

Reaching out and touching the strands of magic she found, the events from last night filled her mind. She saw two boys appear in the room in a cloud of grey smoke. Boys that she recognized from her time under the Dark One’s tutelage and who hadn’t aged a single day. She couldn’t remember their names, though. As the shorter one reached the bed, she saw Henry’s hand reach out and grab him. She couldn’t help the surge of pride she felt that he was able to do that small bit to protect himself. The boy turned to his companion and tackled him, but only moments later, he was laying on the carpet, blood pouring out of the stab wound the other one had left. She watched as the other boy leapt onto the bed and the struggle that ensued. She saw the boy get ahold of Henry’s wrist and slap a black cuff on him before all three of them were enveloped in another cloud of smoke. She released a resigned sigh and opened her eyes.

Emma returned. “I have a one-thirty appointment.”

“Good,” Regina replied. “I was right. The Dark One has taken him. Or rather, the Dark One’s errand boys took him. The blood isn’t Henry’s.” Emma let out a sigh of relief at that news. “It was the Dark One’s magic that transported the kidnappers both to and from. The magic you felt was definitely Henry’s. He used it to defend himself against one of the kidnappers. Henry’s magic is purely good, so a touch is all it took for the kidnapper to become a protector instead. Unfortunately, that may have been his death sentence. All three of them were taken back once Henry was subdued. I don’t expect the Dark One would be that concerned about saving the boy that got stabbed, so it’s likely that he’s dead.” Regina fell silent, her face grim.

Emma’s face mirrored her concern, but the evidence of her tears were gone. “Okay, I’ve got to get going here in a bit. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“There’s no need to tell him anything about magic,” Regina mused, “He’s not aware of his own, so chances are mentioning it would give him every reason to refuse to help us. Just tell him that he comes very highly recommended and that money is no object.”

“What if he asks about the police?”

“You tell him the truth. That they are involved but there are extenuating circumstances that you don’t trust in Ozman’s hands. He carries a torch for you and you need someone who will actually take this seriously instead of see it as an opportunity to try and weasel themselves into your affections, as despicable as that is.” Emma rolled her eyes at the quite accurate assessment of her would be suitor. “Bring Jones here in the morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Emma interrupted, “Why tomorrow? Why not today? Every minute we’re not looking, is another minute that the Dark One can use to hurt Henry!”

“Emma,” she countered, grabbing her by the shoulders, “It will take some time away from Storybrooke before the protection spell I have on him will fade enough for the Dark One to do anything to him. Three, four days at least. Don’t worry.” Regina stared hard at Emma. “We will get him back and he will be fine,” she assured her. “I’ll be spending today researching my hunch and hopefully, getting a bead on where he was taken and how to get him back.”

Emma’s restless anxiety was not fully assuaged, but it was significantly lessened by Regina’s certainty. She nodded. “Okay. Keep me updated and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Emma nodded before the friends embraced and she spun on her heel and left the room.

~*~*~

Killian Jones looked up from the remains of his lunch as his secretary, Ariel, poked her head in.

“Your one-thirty is here, Killian.”

“Thanks, Ariel. Just give me a minute.”

She withdrew as he gathered the debris on the desk in front of him and dumped it all in the trash. Standing up, he ran his fingers through his hair and stepped through to the outer office.

A goddess with nearly waist length blonde hair and green eyes looked up at him. He had to shake his head slightly and snap his mouth shut to keep from looking like a total moron in front of the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He held his hand out to her and she rose and placed her own hand in his. He couldn’t help but run his thumb over her knuckles as he introduced himself.

“Killian Jones, at your service.”

Her eyes widened and she was completely captivated by the startling blue of his. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jones. I’m Emma Swan.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Killian Jones was easily the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

“Please, come in. And call me Killian,” he encouraged, dropping her hand and placing his on the small of her back to lead her into his office.

She shook her head slightly as she felt her cheeks heat. The heat from his hand spread over her back, bringing a soothing warmth with it. She normally would have balked at a virtual stranger touching her like that, but somehow she knew that it was a gesture of protection and guidance, not control. That small distinction further confirmed the decision to seek him out. But, she couldn’t afford to be attracted to him. She had a purpose in coming here- and she would do well to remember that. “Killian, then,” she agreed. She took her seat where he indicated as he moved to the other side of the desk and sat down.

“How may I help you today, Ms. Swan?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “If I’m going to call you Killian, then I have to insist on you calling me Emma.”

A delighted grin broke out on his face. “Very well, Emma. How may I help you today?”

Her face fell and tears gathered in her eyes. “My son was kidnapped last night.”

He didn’t know what he had expected her to say, but this was probably near the bottom of the list. About 90% of his business was investigating cheating spouses. He had noticed she wore no ring, but that didn’t mean much these days. He hadn’t dealt with a kidnapping case since his days in the Boston PD. His brow furrowed as he pulled a pad out of his desk.

“Have the police been contacted?”

“Yes, but our sheriff would be useless in this case,” she hedged, her eyes skittering away from his.

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

Her face flushed a pretty pink, but it only took a moment for him to realize it was in anger, not embarrassment. “The biggest reason is because he’s been trying to get in my pants since I moved to town five years ago. He’s a weasel and I wouldn’t trust him to walk a dog around the block, much less to find my son! There is no doubt in my mind that he would talk a big game trying to impress me or get me to date him, and then do nothing to find Henry. And the second reason is that even if that wasn’t the case and he wasn’t a giant ass, he has no experience whatsoever with kidnappings. We’re a small town and the overwhelming majority of the ‘crime’,” she put air quotes around the word, “there are kids playing pranks or helping to find pets that have run off.”

Killian felt sick. He knew his mouth hung open in pure, unadulterated shock. He had been acquainted with some of the lowlifes of humanity, but that there were men, on the right side of the law, that would use the kidnapping of a child to try and woo the child’s mother was a new low. If he ever had the opportunity to meet this contemptible bastard, he’d like nothing more than to punch him into next week.

“I see,” he murmured, trying to rein in his ire.

“I need someone who will actually find Henry. He’s all I have.”

He looked into her emerald eyes. “You have my word. I’ll do everything I can to bring your son home to you.”

Emma gazed into Killian’s blazing blue eyes and was comforted by the intensity and conviction she saw there. Her heart rate increased again as she tore her gaze from his before she got hopelessly lost in them. She knew that he would take her case and that they would find Henry.

“Tell me everything.”

~*~*~

An hour later, Emma emerged from Killian’s office. “I’ll drive up to Storybrooke first thing in the morning and meet you at your home by nine. I’ll text when I leave so you’ll have an idea of when to expect me.”

“Thank you so much, Killian. I’ll see you in the morning.” She dipped her face again as her cheeks flushed and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

“Until tomorrow, love.” He turned to Ariel as Emma left the office. “Don’t look at me like that.”

She smirked, knowingly. “I didn’t say a word,” she protested.

“I’ll be out of the office for a few days. Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.”

“Mmhmmm,” she murmured. “Yes, sir.”

~*~*~

Killian climbed into bed that night after drinking just enough rum to help him fall asleep easily without her sparkling green eyes taunting him all night. She was the most exquisite creature he’d ever seen and he knew that he was going to need some liquid sedative if he hoped to get a good night's sleep before driving up to Maine in the morning.

She intrigued him. Both her and her case. He’d asked all the standard questions in a kidnapping investigation- when and where he was last seen, could a non-custodial parent be responsible (he couldn’t stop the small smile when she informed him that Henry’s father didn’t even know he existed), had he been chatting with anyone online that she knew of (he may be a little young in his own humble opinion, but you never knew these days)- and while she’d been honest with him in answering his questions, he knew that she was holding something back.

He had a sixth sense, his nephews likened it to a superpower, where he could tell if someone was lying to him. And while she hadn’t exactly been lying, she was definitely leaving something out. Something that niggled at him. Hence the rum. Whatever she was hiding, he had a feeling he’d find out what it was in the morning when he got to Storybrooke.

With those thoughts, he fell asleep.

~*~*~

_“Hello, Killian Jones.” The oily voice sounded giddily taunting and jerked Killian awake. The man before him was impeccably dressed and appeared to be utterly poised and confident as he stared at Killian with piercing dark eyes. He sat, one ankle resting on the other knee, in the same chair that Emma had occupied that afternoon._

_“Who are you? How did you get here?” He looked around his office. “How did I get here?” The last thing he remembered was getting into bed with thoughts of Emma Swan swirling through his mind._

_“I think you know exactly who I am,” he nearly purred. Then he shrugged, “But if not, it won’t be long before you do.” He stared at him again, if possible his stare even harder than before. “I am here for one reason and one reason only.” Killian released a small gasp when flames appeared in the stranger’s eyes. “Stay away from this case. Stay away from Emma Swan. You are dealing with things that are so far beyond you and your understanding…” the flames died down and he trailed away with a sneer. “Things that would drive you mad.”_

_Killian leaned back in his chair, his innate stubbornness and anger rising. Whoever this man, thing, was, it was gonna take much more than a magic trick in a dream to turn him away from finding Emma’s son._

_“Listen,” he began, placing his hands behind his head in a show of casual indifference, “I don’t know who you are or where you come from. But I don’t make a habit of letting a bunch of hocus pocus mumbo jumbo scare me off of anything. Especially when it comes in a dream.” He smirked cockily at his unwanted guest. “And since this is a dream, I can pretty much say anything I want and get away with it.” He paused, thinking. “So I think I’ll say, from my heart, kiss my ass.”_

_The man’s sneer disappeared as he leaned forward. “I really don’t like your attitude.”_

_Killian shrugged. “I don’t care what you like.” His gaze hardened then at the man in front of him. “Now take your bag of tricks and get out of my office.”_

_“Very well. I see that your choice is made.” The man uncrossed his legs and rose from the chair. “But before I go,” he reached forward and grabbed Killian’s hand. He felt an ice cold sensation that nearly burnt in its intensity before he jerked it out of the man’s grasp. He looked down at his hand where the skin bore now a shimmering scale-like appearance. He looked up again at the man before him whose smirk had a reptilian quality that sent a shiver of dread down Killian’s spine. “Just a little something to,” he paused, “leave an impression.” He giggled and disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke._

Killian jerked awake in the darkness. He turned on the light at the side of his bed and stared down at his hand. The burning scar from the dream was still there. Killian’s heart thundered in his chest. _How could something that had happened in a dream…?_ He couldn’t finish the thought. He knew he’d be getting no more sleep that night.

~*~*~

Emma startled when the bell rang announcing Killian Jones. She was expecting him, of course, but her lack of sleep the night before, even with a magical assist, ensured that she was still on edge enough that she was easily startled. Trying to will her heartbeat to slow down, she walked to the front door. When she opened it, she inhaled sharply and her eyes trailed down his body appreciatively and back up again. He wore jeans with a pullover that was pulled tightly across his chest. His scruff was neatly trimmed and his hair was slightly mussed as if he’d been running his hand through it. His eyes were still a piercing blue, but he had shadows underneath them like he hadn’t slept well the night before. She licked her lips self-consciously as her eyes met his.

“See something you like there, love,” he asked, smirking at her with a raised eyebrow.

She could feel the blush heating her cheeks as she looked away and held the door open for him.

“Good morning, Killian,” she greeted him. “Please come in.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, all flirtation gone.

“Regina is expecting us as soon as you have a chance to look around,” she said leading him into the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked with a small smile, “You look like you could use it.”

Killian coughed, surprised at her perceptiveness. After only spending an hour with her the day before, he wouldn’t have thought that she’d be able to look at him and tell that he’d had a rough night.

“That would be great, lass. Thank you.”

She poured him a large travel mug of the aromatic brew. He took a sip and nearly groaned in delight. The coffee he had drunk that morning to get himself moving had long since left his system and he was desperate for something, anything that would help banish the recollection of last night’s disturbing dream and help him concentrate on the case at hand.

“Regina, your friend who knows more about who may have taken Henry and why?” he asked following her out of the kitchen and toward the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

“Yes, that’s right,” Emma replied. At the top of the stairs, she turned to the door on her left and opened it for him.

He entered the room and looked around. Of course he didn’t miss the sizable blood stain on the carpet in front of Henry’s bed. His heart skipped a beat as he took in all the toys and books scattered around the room. No child should ever be taken, but seeing the domain of this particular little boy made a fierce protectiveness that he had never known for anyone, not even his nephews, rise in him. He was completely taken aback by the strength of the sentiment. It was natural that he’d want to find a child that had been kidnapped, but it was something else for thoughts and feelings of duty, guardianship, and even love toward this child he had never met to flood his heart and mind. He had to find this little boy.

Turning back toward the boy’s mother, he caught her intense scrutiny before her cheeks flushed and she looked away. Something told him that it wasn’t attraction he was seeing now, but rather something else. Perhaps some of what she had hidden from him yesterday? He couldn’t help the feeling of exposure that came over him, like she could see things about him that he’d rather keep to himself, making him scratch at that spot behind his ear in a nervous tic that he’d never been able to kick. He followed her back out of the room.

“Okay, let's go see Regina.”

She nodded and descended the stairs, very conscious of Killian’s presence behind her.

When he’d looked around Henry’s room, she had watched him carefully, cataloguing every reaction he had. Regina was absolutely certain about him, but she had experience that Emma herself didn’t have. She was much more concrete. She wanted something that _she_ could see, not just trust in someone else. As much as she did trust that particular someone else.

She had watched him as his eyes darkened in alarm and then flashed with anger when they had landed on the blood stain on the carpet. Softening as they’d swept over Henry’s bookshelves, she’d seen a wave of affection, protectiveness, and sorrow come over him as he turned his eyes back on her. Feeling much more comfortable about him, she couldn’t help the small smile that had escaped her when he scratched behind his ear in a nervous tic.

“Okay, let’s go see Regina.”

~*~*~

A short time later, Regina ushered Emma and Killian into her living room. She knew that her frown could be off putting to people who didn’t know her well, so she struggled to keep her expression pleasant even though she could feel the magic of the Dark One hanging about him. That magic was only further confirmation of what she had found in her research the day before. She sighed internally and glanced at her new acquaintance, hoping that he’d be up to the challenge that she was about to lay on him.

“Mr. Jones,” Regina began.

“Please, call me Killian, milady,” he interrupted.

“Killian, then,” she repeated with a sharp nod. She settled down on the sofa opposite them and fixed him with a hard stare. She couldn’t figure out how Killian might have come in contact with her former teacher’s dark magic, but it was obvious to her that he had. She decided she was just going to have to be blunt and hope for the best.

“Tell me, Mr, ah, Killian,” she quickly corrected herself, shaking her head, “have you ever had any contact with magic?”

Killian visibly startled and Emma’s eyes widened in surprise at her bold question.

“Magic?” he asked, his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline.

“Yes, magic,” she repeated, not backing down a bit.

Emma had been on the receiving end of that imperious and penetrating gaze before and she wasn’t surprised to see Killian’s apparent discomfort under that scrutiny. But before she could offer him any kind of reassurance, she watched this man as he suppressed his discomfort and fixed Regina with as hard a stare as she was leveling at him.

“Why are you asking me this? Magic doesn’t exist. And even if it did, you wouldn’t be asking me that without a very good reason. What exactly is going on here?” He turned to look at her. “I know that what you told me yesterday was the truth, but I also know that you didn’t tell me everything. If I’m going to be able to help you, you have to tell me everything, whether it seems relevant or not. No matter how insignificant it may appear to be. It’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with a kidnapping, but I know what I’m doing. This a partnership. I need you and ANY information you can give me just as much as you need me.”

Emma nodded and then looked over at their hostess. Regina seemed to deflate a bit.

“All of your questions will be answered, Mr,” she shook her head, “Killian. I’m sorry, I keep forgetting. I sense something.” Regina closed her eyes momentarily. “On you. I need you to answer my question before I can answer yours.”

Killian took a deep breath, his hackles lowering.

“Fine,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t call it magic, but I did have a very strange dream this morning…” He trailed away, remembering, albeit reluctantly. “A man visited me in my office and warned me to stay away from this case.” He turned to Emma, “To stay away from you, love.” He took her hand in his own. It was so warm and soft, he looked down and entwined their fingers before raising his eyes to hers again. “I told him he could fuck off. That nothing was going to stop me from finding your boy.”

She looked down at their hands, surprised that she hadn’t noticed that their fingers had intertwined. She looked back at him. His gaze was so intense, she couldn’t help the shiver of awareness that shot down her spine. She tamped it down firmly. This was no time to give in to her attraction. Henry was first.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “That means a lot.”

Regina shook her head across from them. “But what about the magic? That’s not all that was in the dream, is it?” she queried. “There’s something more.”

Killian’s eyes skittered towards Regina and widened slightly.

“Yes,” he agreed. “But, it wasn’t magic...” he trailed away.

“Listen, Killian,” she interjected. “I am a seer. I can _see_ the dark magic on you. And I know it’s not yours. Yours is light. And powerful. But, you have come into contact with some very powerful dark magic that I recognize. I need to know how. This dream wasn’t just a dream, was it?”

Killian’s head was spinning with everything she had just said. “Wait a minute,” he began, “What are you… what do you…” he was trying not to hyperventilate. “My magic? I don’t have magic.”

Regina could see that she had effectively torpedoed this meeting and she was desperate to get them back on track. She cursed at herself under her breath for her lack of tact and impatience and tried to salvage what she could.

“Mr. Jones, ah, Killian, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” He waved aside her sentiment assuring her forgiveness wasn’t necessary. “When I’m stressed, I tend to become a bit of a bitch, forgetting my manners. Emma and Henry are like family to me.” She turned a soft smile on Emma. “This entire situation has frightened me just about as much as his mother. Especially since I have a pretty good idea of what exactly is going on. Please trust me for just a moment. Forget what I just said. All your questions will be answered. I swear to you. Just as you said that there was nothing that should be left out, no matter how seemingly insignificant it was, the same goes here. Tell me,” she pleaded, “It is of the utmost importance.”

Killian scratched behind his ear again, clearly reluctant to share. “After I told him to get out, he took my hand.” He paused and held up his left hand. The skin on the back of his hand was pure white and scaly looking. Emma gasped in horror as she took that hand in her own.

“He did this?” she whispered.

“Aye.”

“Let me see,” Regina demanded, reaching across the coffee table between them.

Killian reached across to her as she exchanged an anxious look with Emma. She stared back down at his hand as he continued speaking. “He said he wanted to leave an impression.”

Regina released him and fell back to the sofa. “The man who visited you is my former teacher. He is known as the Dark One.”

Killian’s brows furrowed. “The Dark One?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “He was my first and only teacher of magic. A very powerful practitioner of dark magic. After I’d been under his tutelage for some time, he caught me with a very old, dusty,” she wrinkled her nose at the memory, “spell book.” She turned to Emma, “This is what I needed to research yesterday. When I saw Killian in the vision,” she smiled widely, pleased that she remembered to call him Killian, “the memory tickled, but I didn’t try to nail it down right then, in favor of noticing as many details in the vision as I could.” She turned her attention back to Killian. “The oracle that he caught me reading told of the Chosen One, a powerful wizard from the Land Without Magic, the Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer. When he found me reading it, he flew into a rage the likes of which I’d never seen. It was more than enough reason to get away from him and continue my study and practice on my own.” She nearly pierced Killian to the soul with her penetrating gaze. “You, Killian, are the Chosen One.”

Emma’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. “The Chosen One is the Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer? Henry’s heart?”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Killian waved his hand at them, drawing both their attention. “You’re saying I’m some sort of Chosen One? Why? What makes you say that? Who or what chose me?!”

Regina waved her hand, dismissively. “I don’t worry about that kind of thing so much. Call it what you will. Providence, luck, God. All I know is, that when I touched Henry’s scarf yesterday in order to track him, I had a vision of you. You were coming into your office. You wore a black suit, white shirt, and a red tie with silver anchors on it.”

Killian was momentarily stunned silent. “That’s what you meant by seer.” Regina smirked at him. “What exactly is a seer?”

“There are different types. I have visions and can see magic. I can see not only the Dark One’s magic stream from where he touched you,” she reached across the coffee table again and took his hand in her own, “but I can see _your_ magic.”

Killian raised an eyebrow at her. “My magic.”

Regina nodded slowly. “Yes, your magic.”

Killian withdrew his hand and leaned back against the sofa blowing out a long breath. “I was not aware that I had magic.”

“It’s latent, for sure. But it is definitely there. I could feel it in the vision I had. Now, since you’ve never been trained in its use, it will only manifest under extremely emotional circumstances.”

Emma finally spoke. “Remind me to tell you about the time my magic manifested for the first time. That’s a story for another time.” Killian raised an eyebrow at her, questioning. “Yes, I have magic, too. So does Henry. This town is full of it and it’s here that Henry and I were drawn to when he was a baby. It’s here that Regina began training me in the use of my magic once it appeared, and Henry as well when his magic awoke a little over a year ago.” She looked over to Regina who nodded at her encouragingly. Emma closed her eyes and let her magic flow through her, holding her hand out so that Killian could see the white magic on her palm. “When I discovered that Henry was missing, I came straight to Regina, teleported into her bedroom before she was even awake. When Regina came to the house, she was able to see the magic used and what exactly happened to Henry. He has the Heart of the Truest Believer and the Dark One wants it.”

“You are connected to Henry in a way I don’t fully understand,” Regina added, “Henry being who he is, tells me who you are.”

Killian’s mind was spinning. He didn’t know what to do with all the information that was being thrown at him. He realized then that his superpower wasn’t going off. At all. Everything Regina and Emma were saying was the absolute truth. He considered himself a pretty laid back and open minded man, but what they were saying and _showing_ him was so far out of his wheelhouse that, while he believed them, he was having a hell of a time assimilating it all. It brought back what the man, _the Dark One,_ had said in his dream last night. _You are dealing with things that are so far beyond you and your understanding… Things that would drive you mad._

“And I am the Chosen One. The Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer. And that’s Henry.” Regina and Emma both nodded.

A bone deep certainty settled over Killian like a cloak. That was why when he entered Henry’s room earlier he had felt so much for the little guy. Why he had felt so protective of him and angry that someone would dare to take him from his very bed. This monster, this _Dark One_ , wanted to kill a child in order to obtain his heart for whatever nefarious purpose. Second, he had the audacity to come to him and try to get him to step away from the case. Fury rose in him. He rose from the sofa.

“How dare he,” he seethed.

Emma caught her breath. Killian’s blue eyes flashed, his cheeks and the tips of his ears were bright red, his teeth were clenched and his hands curled into fists. The man was absolutely magnificent in his rage. Her own heart rate sped up. She had never felt like this about anyone before. It went beyond simple attraction. His connection to Henry, meant that he was connected to her as well. Exploring that connection would have to wait, though. Not until Henry was safe. As these thoughts came to the front of her mind, she realized something. She had been so worried about her son that it didn’t even occur to her to be angry at the demon who had taken him, so as she looked at Killian, her own wrath came to the surface.

“We have to destroy him.” She turned furious eyes on her teacher. “What do we do? How do we do it? He was your teacher. You’ve protected us against him. Surely you know how to destroy him! And where is he keeping Henry?”

He couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, although the emotions that came over him in Henry’s room were at least similar in scope and intensity to what he imagined she was feeling. As he watched her now, he saw not just a beautiful woman, good friend, and loving mother, he saw an avenging goddess and he couldn’t help the proud smile that stole over his face as he thought of Emma taking on the Dark One.

“I haven’t made it that far yet, Emma. There is more information that Killian needs before you go off half-cocked,” Regina said. “Please sit down,” she invited.

Killian sank down onto the sofa again. “I’ve told you everything that I can remember about that dream, now it’s your turn.”

Regina nodded and began. Killian took out his pad and made notes of everything that Regina said, with a few interjections by Emma. After she had filled him in on the rest of her own history with the Dark One and the circumstances of Henry’s kidnapping, Regina paused.

“What?” Killian asked. “Whatever you have to say now can’t possibly be any more unbelievable than what you’ve already told me.”

“You have to obtain his dagger. It is the only thing that can destroy him. Since he marked you with his magic, Killian, I can trace it to find exactly where it is.”

Regina looked at Emma. “He will need his dagger in order to harm Henry, once my protection spell wears off in the next few days. So there is no time to lose. You must get the dagger and bring it here. We must keep him away from it at all costs.”

Emma and Killian turned to one another with wide eyes. “Then where is it?” Emma asked. “How do we get it?”

Regina reached across the coffee table and motioned to Killian to give her his hand again. When he did, she closed her eyes, her other hand hovering over the white skin. After about twenty seconds of tense silence, Regina began to speak.

“There is an underground chamber at Stonehenge, one of the few magical places on this earth,” she murmured. “You’ll have to go underground at Salisbury Cathedral to get there. It is built over the ancient civilization of Sarum, the people who built Stonehenge. Go down to the crypt and there is a passageway leading to Stonehenge.” Regina released Killian’s hand and held her’s out in front of her, her palm facing them. Killian looked at Emma who stared at her, transfixed. “Killian, you are the one who must get the dagger. You must follow all the directions that you are given.” Her eyes snapped open, pupils and irises gone, her eyes pure white as her voice rose in a reverberating crescendo as loud as thunder. “YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS YOU ARE GIVEN OR HENRY WILL BE LOST.”

Killian swallowed thickly as Regina’s eyes closed again and then opened, perfectly normal. He stared at her, mouth agape. “Follow all the directions I am given.” He nodded sharply. “Got it.”

He turned to Emma. “Well, it looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us, love. Looks like we’re heading to Stonehenge.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. The final chapter will be up a week from today. I'd love to know what you think!


	3. Ch. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a race against time to save Henry, Emma and Killian head to Stonehenge to get the dagger of the Dark One. But he certainly isn't going to let them get away with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Did y'all notice that the chapter count went up? Yeah... This last part needed quite a bit of work and before I even started on it, it was 10k. So I decided to split this last part into two chapters. We will definitely finish this fic next week. Thank you all so much for reading and I hope you like this chapter!

Emma and Killian pushed through the wooden doors of Salisbury Cathedral, a Medieval house of worship completed in the mid-thirteenth century over Sarum, the seat of the civilization that built Stonehenge. A holy hush fell on them as they emerged into the narrow sanctuary, lined with columns and arched windows, on their way through the nave of the cathedral to the choir area that would lead below the main floor to the crypt. Saints, illuminated by the light of the full moon outside, looked down on them from the stained glass windows that lined the aisles and Emma couldn’t help but feel like they knew why they were there and approved of their quest. She couldn’t imagine that the Dark One using the cathedral as the gateway to the hiding place for his dagger was looked upon with favor by the saints and angels depicted above.

As they crossed the transept toward the choir area, a sense of foreboding settled on Emma. Looking around for the source of the sudden chill that settled on her shoulders, she stopped directly under the spire, which was also directly above their destination. It was all she could do to suppress the shiver that worked its way down her spine. Killian turned toward her.

“What is it, Swan?”

“Something’s not right here,” she replied. “I feel cold.” She rubbed her arms up and down like she was trying to warm herself up. “Like we’re being watched,” she whispered.

“Let’s get out of the open, love.” His voice lowered to a whisper as well as he came toward her and grabbed her upper arm, tugging her toward him. She looked over his shoulder in the direction he was leading her and saw the door leading down to the crypt. Looking around the deserted and dark church once more to be sure they were unobserved, they slipped through the door and descended the spiral staircase to the crypt below.

~*~*~

They emerged from the stairwell and entered a small chamber lit entirely by tall pillar candles. The atmosphere of the room pressed in on her so much that she couldn’t draw a deep breath. Dank, musty air, coupled with the dark magic permeating their surroundings and a heaviness that she couldn’t explain combined to make her footsteps heavy, each one slower than the last. Killian didn’t seem to be faring much better.

His brow furrowed as he looked around. “What is going on here? I can feel something… almost pushing... against me.”

“It’s dark magic,” she replied. “This has to be part of the protection for the dagger. I’ve never felt this kind of concentrated evil before.”

A sudden screech caught them by surprise as a sandy haired, tall and gangly boy in his late teens launched himself at them from the shadows. The atmosphere of the room left Emma completely unprepared as he ran at her with an old fashioned cutlass with some kind of black substance coating the tip. Before she could even raise her hands in defense, a blast of light blue magic hit the boy square in the chest, sending him flying into one of the columns that lined the chamber. The sickening crack of his skull on the marble made her insides turn. Her hand flew to her mouth as she valiantly tried to combat the threatened mutiny of the contents of her stomach. When her assailant remained still, she turned to Killian. The blood drained from his face, his eyes as blue as the magic she just saw and as round as the full moon in the sky. Shock didn’t begin to describe what she saw on his face.

“Wh-wh-what was that?” he stammered. “He was coming for you and I threw my arms out to try and push you out of his way and then, that…” he trailed away, his jaw still slack in amazement. “That was magic? My magic?”

Emma reined in her own consternation to focus on the grievously agitated man before her. “Yes, that was your magic,” she confirmed, speaking as soothingly as she could. She knew exactly how he felt; remembering like it was yesterday the first time her own magic had manifested and the mixed emotions of terror and relief the circumstances engendered.

_It all happened in slow motion. Two year old Henry spied Regina waving at them from across the street as they walked towards Granny’s. With a screech of delight, Henry pulled away from her and ran headlong toward his second favorite person in the world. The vehicle coming towards them didn’t see him as he darted from between the parked cars on the street. There were no words for the horror and pure unadulterated fear she felt as something else rose up within her. She screamed and a blast of white shot out the tips of her fingers towards her little boy. Regina’s terrified face barely registered as her magic simultaneously stopped the oncoming SUV and sent Henry flying into her friend’s arms. Regina held him tightly as she raced across the street toward them. Trying desperately to calm her racing heart, Emma gathered Henry close, Regina releasing him the moment she joined them. Once she had her heartbeat and breathing under control, Regina proceeded to treat them to their favorite meals at Granny’s while explaining all about the existence of magic and her own apparent gifts._

She knew that Killian believed them when they told him of his own magic, but believing was one thing. Seeing or using it for the first time was something entirely different. She approached him and ran her own hands up and down his arms trying to calm him down. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the luxury of time to process what had just happened. They had to get the dagger.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “I know this is tough to see and accept the first time it happens, but we have to keep going.”

Killian shook his head, trying to cast off his stupor and bewilderment. “Yeah, I, I’m fine.”

They proceeded further into the room where they could hear echoes of a moaning type of chant. On the other end of the chamber, they could see a dark passageway, sloping even further down. As they approached, the chant grew louder. When they arrived at the doorway, Killian could discern the Latin words _Unus Tenebris_ , The Dark One. He turned back to Emma, her own eyes wide with recognition and fear. He held his finger to his lips and crossed the threshold into the corridor. The chant got louder the further down they went until, at last, they came out into another room where six cloaked figures stood in the middle of the room facing them. The chant was low and monotonous and was really starting to grate on Killian’s nerves. Their faces could not be seen, but the tallest one in the middle stopped his chanting as the others continued. He stepped forward to confront the unexpected duo.

“Who are you and why have you come to the sanctuary of The Dark One?” he intoned.

“We have come to collect his dagger,” Killian replied, a shiver working its way down his spine at the anger and evil he could feel radiating off the presumed leader.

“And why do you need his dagger?”

Killian suddenly had an epiphany. “He has finally captured the boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer and he needs his dagger in order to carry out his plans. He has sent us to obtain it.” Killian held out his hand to the figure to show the scar the Dark One had left him.

“Very well,” he said. “You may proceed. Follow all the directions or not only will you lose the dagger, you will lose your life as well.” They nodded and stepped toward the now silent figures. They moved toward the walls of the chamber, creating a path for them to follow. As Emma and Killian moved across the room, the leader spoke again. “Only one of you may pass into the chamber of the dagger. Only one. The other must wait here.”

They came to the other door and found strange markings in the stone above the lintel. Emma recognized the lettering, but was having to concentrate to translate it.

“Take the water, but spill not a drop, lest all you desire comes to naught.”

Emma turned stunned eyes on Killian. He turned his startled and confused countenance on her as well.

“What?”

“You could read that?” she asked, incredulously.

“Well, yeah…” he trailed away, his confusion deepening. “Can’t you?”

“I recognize the symbols, but I couldn’t translate them that easily.”

“What do you mean ‘translate them’?” His eyebrows rose in question. “That’s English. Isn’t it?”

“Uh, no. It’s not. Those are druidic symbols. A deeply esoteric and magical language. Regina has only just started teaching me.”

Killian looked back up at the words that were in plain English to him. He shrugged. “That’s what it says. This must be the instruction that Regina and that guy,” he gestured behind them, “were referring to.”

“I guess so,” Emma breathed. “I’ll go.” Determination filled her eyes. “I have the most control over my magic. If anything goes wrong, I’ll be more likely to survive it.”

“Like hell you will,” he whispered urgently, not wanting the others to overhear their argument. “I’m the ‘Chosen One.’ The Protector of Henry’s heart. I’m the one who needs to go get it. I’ll be fine, love.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s surviving.”

Emma rolled her eyes at him. “But…”

“No buts, Swan,” he interrupted. “I’m going. Besides, Regina said I was the one who had to get it.” He stepped across the threshold before she could stop him. “I’ll be back soon.” He leaned back out to where she stood before him and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before withdrawing and disappearing down into the darkness.

He descended the stairs until he came to a basin filled with water. On the lip of the basin sat a small paper dixie cup. His eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline as he tried not to laugh. _Are you kidding me?_ He picked up the cup and filled it with the water from the basin. He moved forward until the stairs came to an end. A column that disappeared into the abyss below lay just before him. He looked around, seeing nothing else for him to step on. A ways in the distance he could see something that looked like fire. The only things between him and it, were these columns that he was apparently to use as stepping stones without spilling a drop of water.

“Easy enough,” he whispered to himself. As he took his first step, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe he should check to see how deep the chasm below him was. He fished in his pocket until he pulled out a coin and dropped it. He listened intently for the coin to hit the ground below. When twenty seconds had passed and he still hadn’t heard anything, comprehension dawned. If he fell, he wasn’t coming back. He gulped and took another step. And then another. His next step was a little too quick, and he nearly lost his balance. His other hand joined the one holding the cup in keeping it steady, his heart thundering in his ears. He took a deep breath and continued. On his next step, he caught a flash of movement off to his left. He turned and saw Emma. She was completely naked. His mouth went dry and his breathing hitched as he beheld her beauty. Her mouth hung part way open, her arms reaching for him, lips full and plump as she looked at him with longing in her eyes. He knew that what he was looking at couldn’t possibly be real, but that didn’t stop his body from reacting to the deepest longing in his heart. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t real. He wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms, and love her as long as she’d let him. He blindly reached for her with his unoccupied hand and nearly lost his balance again. That close call told him all that he needed to know. This darkness was going to tempt him with what he desired most. And what he felt for Emma went far beyond simple desire. If he was going to survive this test, he had to keep his goal in mind. He kept moving forward, each step more difficult than the last because once he turned away, she found her voice. He could hear her breathy sighs and moans as if he really was with her, touching her, loving her. But instead of fading away in the distance as he moved forward, the sounds grew louder, as if she was right behind him. At one point, nearly at his goal, he could have sworn he felt her touch along his shoulders.

He kept his face resolutely away from her, finally making it to the where the dagger hung over leaping flames. The moment he stood before the shrine, he knew she was gone. The ghostly touch disappeared and the sounds she made were cut off as if with a knife. He took a deep breath and focused his attention on the dagger in front of him. Even if the flames weren’t leaping high enough to burn him if he reached for it, he knew the heat of the dagger itself would burn him terribly if he touched it. He thought back to the instruction.

_Take the water, but spill not a drop, lest all you desire comes to naught._

If he were to pour the water over the flames, first of all, he would be technically spilling the water. And secondly, there wasn’t nearly enough water in the cup to extinguish these flames. The only thing he could think of was to drink the water. Hoping against hope that he was correct in his expectation, he lifted the cup to his lips. As he did, the flames disappeared. He nearly shouted out his victory, but at the last moment, he held his tongue. It would stand to reason that since this was the Dark One’s dagger, that he would know when someone else touched it. Especially someone who shouldn’t be. He had to get the dagger and get the hell out of here before his enemy showed up.

He reached for the dagger and grasped the hilt. It was an evil looking device. A wavy, wicked sharp edge adorned the side. The name _Rumplestiltskin_ emblazoned on the shaft. His already galloping heartbeat increased even more as he pulled it toward him and pulled a piece of soft sheepskin out of his jacket to wrap it in. He took a deep breath and placed the wrapped dagger into his back waistband under his jacket. Finally, he turned back the way he came, heart pounding, terrified of what he might see. Of what he might have to face on the return journey. Would she still be there, ready to drag him to his death? He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was gone and headed back toward where he entered the chamber.

~*~*~

Killian came back into the room pale and shaking. He’d only been gone about fifteen, twenty minutes. But those minutes had to be some of the longest of her life. She could only imagine what he had seen and experienced in the chamber. It was obvious that whatever had happened in there, it affected him deeply. She extended her hand toward him to take. He looked down somewhat dazed and took it in his own.

“Did you get it?”

He looked back up at her. “Aye, lass. I have obtained the object of our desire.” His blue eyes bore into her own, swirling with fear, confusion, and something deeper that she didn’t dare name.

“Then let’s get out of here.”

~*~*~

Emma and Killian somehow made it through customs with the dagger after arriving back in the States. The only thing they could figure was that since the dagger itself was magical, it was magically shielded from anyone but magic wielders. As they exited the arrivals gate, he startled when he spied the man from his dream, the Dark One, coming toward him followed by several Boston police officers. He sauntered towards them, making a show of the gold tipped cane he carried. He was dressed differently than in his dream with a long greatcoat, in what looked like crocodile skin. Killian felt a chill run down his spine. _The coat matches his smile,_ he thought.

“That’s the man. Killian Jones. If he doesn’t return my property, I want him arrested.”

Killian’s heart raced. He drew Emma’s attention to their adversary as his mind furiously tried to figure out how to get out of the coming confrontation. An idea came to him suddenly and he elbowed Emma, whispering to her to let him do the talking.

“Welcome home, Mr. Jones. You have something for me?” he asked, holding out his hand with a smug smile on his face.

Killian stared into the face that he had only seen in a dream. He looked at Emma, naked fear on her face, at the cops behind the Dark One, and then back at the man or demon before him. He couldn’t help the smirk that broke over his face as he anticipated playing the Dark One like a fiddle.

“I’m sorry, Rumple,” he loudly lamented, reaching for the lapels of the man before him. The Dark One stared at him, utterly taken aback. It only took a moment however, before his face grew red with extreme irritation as Killian released him and turned toward the crowded terminal. “Everyone,” he shouted, drawing the attention of all the people hurrying to catch their flights, “I should be punished. I have stolen from my brother, Rumple.” The Dark One’s jaw clenched with annoyance as Killian continued with his theatrics. Emma looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Officer,” he continued, pointing at the officers behind the Dark One, “It is your duty to take me in. Please,” he moved toward them holding his wrists out in front of himself, “I am ashamed of myself. I should be arrested.” He walked down the line of officers. “I should be flogged. I don’t deserve to walk among free men.”

Killian repeated his tirade until the Dark One grabbed his arm, motioning toward the officers in a placating manner. “Let me have a word with him, please.”

Killian felt himself being pulled away from the officers, so he turned his attention to Emma and raised his voice once again.

“Emma, I am a swine. You must know what kind of man I am, before we go any further in our dalliance. I am a wretch. I don’t deserve to live.” He winked at her and saw her fear and confusion morph into reluctant amusement. She shook her head as the corner of her mouth lifted in half a smile. He finally turned toward the furious Dark One before him.

“How long do you think you can keep up this miserable masquerade?” he hissed, his eyes blazing with his wrath.

“Well, until I get arrested.” He grinned cockily at him. “Or until you realize the rules of evidence in this country.” The Dark One raised his head slightly and Killian could just see a trace of unease in his eyes. He turned serious. “See, if I get arrested, they take me and put me in a jail cell. And then they take the knife, because it’s a stolen object, and they put that in a little room, and they put ‘Exhibit A,’ a little sticker that says ‘Exhibit A’ on it.” He mimed putting a sticker on something. “And the knife sits in a room and I sit in my room until the trial commences. And that can be anywhere from a month to a year. So if you get me arrested, there’s no telling when you will get your knife.” Killian broke into a wide grin at having the upper hand, thoroughly enjoying himself as he watched a vein pulse in the Dark One’s forehead. He could just imagine what the demon’s blood pressure was at this moment.

“You have no idea who I am, have you?” he sneered.

“Why, yes,” he exclaimed. “You’re my brother Rumple!” He let out an amused chuckle as the Dark One struggled to keep his rage under control. “Look, I know exactly who you are,” Killian’s eyes turned hard and his easy going smile disappeared, “Dark One.” The man before him nearly turned white in fury. Killian’s heart skipped a beat, but he plowed ahead, his own anger coming to the surface. “But, here’s the thing. I. Don’t. Care.” He punctuated each word with a poke to the demon’s chest. “I do care that you kidnapped Henry, though.”

“I could destroy you,” he snapped his fingers in the air, “just like that.”

Killian’s eyebrow raised in bored amusement. “Well, we’ll see about that.” He turned and looked back over at Emma and the officers still waiting off to the side. “Look, I am not going to be giving you this knife. And you do not want to get me arrested. And I will find Henry,” he sneered and snapped his fingers in the Dark One’s face, “just like that.” He patted the demon’s cheek. “See you soon.” He turned back toward the crowd, all smiles and held his arms out as if he wanted to embrace them all. “My brother has forgiven me! Emma, Brother Rumple has forgiven me!” He turned back to the seething Dark One and clapped him on the shoulder in an awkward embrace. “Dear Brother, thank you, thank you, thank you.” He then kissed him loudly on the cheek in a final taunt before releasing him and leading Emma into the crowd.

~*~*~

Emma and Killian found Regina in her study with a great horned owl asleep on one of the larger shelves behind her. Emma’s eyes widened immediately, recognizing Henry’s familiar.

“What’s Bubo doing here?” she asked in alarm. “Is Henry alright?”

“He got here last night,” Regina soothed. “Henry is fine. He’s being held in Boston.”

Killian felt a tug in his heart and cursed under his breath, frustrated that they were so close this afternoon when they landed and had now lost precious hours coming back to Storybrooke. It would be at least tomorrow before they could return and begin searching for the boy. A boy he had never met, but almost felt as if he was his own. A part of his own family. Emma turned to Killian and collapsed into his arms sobbing. He rubbed circles into her back trying to calm her down while whispering assurances that they would find him and he’d be just fine into her ear. She raised her tear stained face to him and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket.

“We have to go after him.” She was frantic and her fear for her son was overriding everything else.

Killian shook his head at her, sorrow in his eyes. “Swan,” he beseeched her, “we can’t. You haven’t slept more than a few minutes at a time since we left here two days ago. You are not going to be any good to anyone in your current state. You’ve got to sleep before we go after him.” He turned helpless and pleading eyes on Regina.

Regina came around her desk and placed her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “He’s right, Emma. You are dead on your feet and you need to rest before you go after him. You still have until tomorrow evening before my protection spell on him will wear off. Bubo couldn’t tell me exactly where Henry was. He’s going to have to lead you to where he is. And he won’t be going anywhere until the sun sets. There’s also the possibility of the Dark One coming here for the dagger. You need to get some sleep while you can. I can give you a potion that will help you relax.” She waved her hand and a vial with a golden colored liquid appeared in her hand. He may have a little bit of experience with magic now, but it was still quite startling.

Emma nodded, obviously reluctant, but she could see the sense in Killian and Regina’s arguments. She took the vial from her friend and swallowed it down. She looked up into the cerulean gaze that she was rapidly falling for and saw only love and concern in his eyes. A sense of peace and calm came over her that she had never felt in all her born days. She knew that the man before her would save her son, and she also knew that he loved her and would do anything for her. She turned toward the door of Regina’s study, took his hand in her own, and led him from the room.

“Will you stay with me?” she asked, nervous in spite of herself.

Killian nodded slowly. “I’ll do anything you want, Swan,” he murmured. “I’m yours.”

She led him up the stairs to one of Regina’s guest rooms. She lay down on top of the comforter and was instantly asleep, her breath coming out in soft snores. Killian crawled up, lined himself up behind her and drew her back into his arms. He placed a kiss to the crown of her head before burying his face in her golden tresses and inhaling deeply. Who would have thought that he would fall for any woman this hard and this fast. He would follow wherever she led. To the end of the world or time.

“Goodnight, Swan,” he whispered. “I love you.”

~*~*~

It seemed like minutes since Regina had retired when something wretched her from a sound sleep. Her hand flew to her neck as she bolted upright in bed struggling to take a deep breath. Maneuvering herself off the bed and to the French doors leading to her balcony, she concentrated on steadying her breathing as her eyes swept across the expanse of her back lawn. The full moon was shining down. Shadows in between the professional landscaping of her home prevented her from seeing anyone, or any _thing_ in particular. But the oppression of dark magic lay heavy on her heart. She turned from the doors and ran to where Emma and Killian were.

The moonlight fell across the bed where they slept. They were on their sides, Emma’s back against Killian’s front, with his arms wrapped securely around her. As much as she hated to wake them, Lord knew they needed the rest, she knew that the Dark One’s arrival was imminent and they needed to be awake and ready to fight. Regina came to the side of the bed and gently shook Killian’s shoulder.

“Huh?” he mumbled, groggily. He sat up, hair sticking up in all directions, with a prodigious yawn and blinking his eyes, trying to get them to focus on his host. “What?”

“The Dark One is coming,” Regina whispered. “I can feel his dark magic pressing in on me from all sides.”

Killian’s eyes widened before he turned back to Emma and shook her awake. “Swan,” he said urgently, “Swan, you have to wake up. He’s coming.”

Emma’s eyes flew open as she sat up fully alert after just a few hours of sleep. Whatever had been in the potion Regina had given her not only helped her relax enough to sleep, but also completely refreshed her on the amount of sleep she got. Her eyes met Regina’s as she scrambled out of bed.

“We’ll go down and wait for him,” she declared. “Regina, you stay in the house and protect the dagger.”

Regina nodded as they all left the room. Emma and Killian descended the stairs with Regina on their heels.

“I could feel him in the back. I couldn’t see anything with all the shadows, but I’m sure that’s where he’ll show up.”

Emma and Killian came to the back door. They looked through the transoms, trying to catch a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. Emma could feel the same thing Regina described in the center of her own chest. A heaviness, almost a choking sensation, making it very difficult to breathe. She’d never been in the presence of such evil before.

Over her shoulder, she heard Killian take a sharp inhale. His arm appeared in her peripheral vision, pointing out to the yard. “There,” he whispered. As her eyes focused in the dark, she finally saw stealthy movement among the trees that lined the yard. First one figure stepped out from between the trees, then another, and another. They weren’t much more than boys. Younger than their attacker under the cathedral, but still young teens. They emerged onto the patio and watched as the boys slowly advanced. Emma raised her hands up and readied herself for battle.

Regina looked out on the yard from her vantage point in her study. Three of the Dark One’s minions stalked toward Emma and Killian. The moonlight glinted off the weapons the boys held, a dagger, a bow and arrow, and the third held a metal baseball bat. Emma held her hands at the ready, but Killian was too inexperienced, he looked equal parts bewildered and terrified. She knew enough about him to know that he wanted to help, but had no idea how to do so, especially when faced with essentially children. He would feel very reluctant to inflict any kind of harm on them, no matter that they fully intended to do as much damage as they possibly could, up to and including death, if possible.

She didn’t see any sign of her former teacher yet, but she knew that he wasn’t going to be far behind.

Emma let fly her magic at the boy readying his bow and arrow. It was enough to send him skittering to the side to avoid it. He almost looked like a marionette, all jerky movements to get out of the way of the blast. A scream like a banshee ripped out of the boy with the bat as he charged toward them before another blast sent him flying to the edge of the yard, barely missing a huge oak tree. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings when she saw him. The Dark One just under the tree line and using the shadows to get close to where Emma and Killian stood. She couldn’t warn them because of the wards and protection spells she had placed on her home when she bought it, for exactly this purpose. If her former teacher were to ever find her, her home had to be fortified against him. No magic could cross those fortifications.

Regina continued to watch as Emma used her magic against their attackers and Killian moved away from her to confront the boy with the dagger. He held his hands out to the sides in a gesture meant to confuse the lost boy. He feinted left to draw his attention, then grabbed him from the right and twisted until the boy was securely in his arms, his back to Killian’s front. The dagger was held tightly against the boy’s chest as he struggled, trying to escape.

The Dark One kept advancing toward Killian, completely bypassing Emma who was still fighting the other two boys. She turned toward Killian to see their true adversary only a few feet away from him and ready to pounce. Regina’s heart was in her throat as they both made their move at exactly the same time. The Dark One reached toward Killian’s back as Emma threw herself in between them, his hand landing in her chest instead of Killian’s as Regina was sure he intended. She could see from her vantage point the maniacal glee in the face of her former mentor as he pulled his hand out from Emma’s chest, her red heart glowing in his palm.

It had happened so fast, there was no way for her to get to the yard in time to do anything but watch as her dearest friend’s face contorted in agony. She beat the frame around the window with her clenched fists as the Dark One’s own fist closed around the delicate organ.

Regina’s screams echoed Killian’s own.

“Nooooooooooo!!!”

~*~*~

Killian released the boy in his arms as Emma bumped into him with a grunt of pain. He turned just enough to see the Dark One standing before her with a countenance of madness coloring his features. He jerked back and another pain filled gasp reached Killian’s ears. He could see something red glowing in his hand. His eyes widened in horror as he realized exactly what the demon was holding. It was Emma’s heart. She had been on the other side of the yard fighting the other boys. How had she gotten here and in between the Dark One and himself?

He watched as the creature’s fist closed around the organ and squeezed. He couldn’t see Emma’s face, but the stiffness of her body and the choking sound coming from her mouth told him exactly what was happening. Killian turned around fully and caught Emma in his arms as she fell to the ground.

“Noooooooooo!!!”

Emma looked up into his tear filled eyes. He shook his head as she raised her hand to his face, tenderly touching his cheek.

“Thank you for staying with me tonight, Killian,” she whispered. “Please save Henry.”

Emma’s eyes closed and her hand dropped to her side. The tears that Killian struggled to contain finally fell, landing on her rounded cheek. Killian looked up at the demon before him, his teeth bared in a savage growl.

The Dark One opened his fist to reveal nothing but dust where Emma’s heart had just been. He waved his hand and Killian was suddenly frozen. The boys they had been fighting now surrounded their master as he sauntered behind Killian and felt for the dagger that was no longer there. His body may have been frozen, but his mouth, mercifully, was not.

“Ha!” Killian shouted in triumph. “Did you really believe that I would still have the dagger there, Crocodile? You’ve lost! I’ll find Henry before you ever discover where the dagger is.”

At that moment, Regina emerged from the house holding the dagger high. Moonlight caught the blade and nearly blinded him with the reflection.

“Leave this place, Dark One,” Regina cried out. “Leave us in peace.”

The Dark One let out an enraged hiss as he spied his former student. Regina continued to advance toward them as Killian rocked his love in his arms, his tears now flowing freely. The demon and his minions retreated until they disappeared in the trees surrounding the now silent lawn.

~*~*~

Regina lay the dagger on the patio and cast a glamour spell on it so that it couldn’t be seen before she moved toward Killian as he rocked Emma in his arms. She knelt beside him as he looked up at her. She was completely taken aback at the sorrow, despair, but also rage that swirled in his eyes. She barely had time to brace herself before she was hit with a blast of blue magic that came straight out of his heart. She felt herself flying through the air before landing near the back patio. She got to her feet as Killian’s cries again reached her ears. He wasn’t even aware of what had just happened. Her heart nearly broke in two at the profound pain she heard in his lament. He held Emma tightly and continued to rock as his grief poured from the depths of his very soul.

He had never felt such pain. It was as if the Dark One had taken his own heart and crushed it instead of hers. _Hers!_ He had watched as her heart was taken from her body and crushed as if it were nothing! Fresh wails poured from his lips as the scene he had just witnessed played over again in his mind’s eye. Nothing he had ever experienced in his life prepared him for this. His soul was in agony, completely untethered. This woman had come into his life just three days ago, turning it upside down. In more ways than one. She’d burrowed into his heart and made a home there. And now that she was gone, his world was turned on its head yet again. How was he supposed to go on without her? Even to rescue her boy?

He continued to rock her as he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Regina knelt at his side and placed a hand on his back. He turned his head and buried his face in her shoulder as sobs continued to wrack him. Her pajama top was soon soaked through.

“She asked me to save Henry,” he sobbed, “And I want to. Of course, I want to! But how can I leave her?”

Regina answered, “I’ve cast a preservation spell upon her, Killian. Nothing will touch her until you return. I know that you lo-” she caught herself, “care deeply for her. But her little boy is still in the clutches of that demon. The best way to honor Emma is to bring him home safely.”

Killian nodded, as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “You’re right. I have to go after him.” He looked up at her. “Boston, you said? He’s in Boston?”

“Yes,” she replied. She waved her hand toward the trees and Bubo glided down and landed on the ground before them. Killian looked at the creature.

“You can show me where Henry is?” he asked, addressing the bird. Wide eyes stared at him before it slowly nodded. “All right then. Lead the way.” Killian carefully placed Emma on the ground before he bent over her and kissed her on the lips, much as any Disney prince would to wake his princess. He rose and walked to his car as Bubo took to the skies. Regina waved her hand once more over her friend, transporting her to the bed she slept in earlier, waiting for Killian’s return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Don't yell at me too hard, please! Story's not done yet! It'll get better! I promise!


	4. Ch. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry is saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now for the final chapter! With happy endings in abundance!

Killian finally came to a stop in front of a warehouse near Boston harbor in the early hours of the morning. Even traveling down state roads and the interstate in the middle of the night, he lost count of the number of frenzied honks he heard as Bubo flew only about fifteen feet above the road and about that same distance in front of him. It made it wonderfully convenient to not have to worry about losing him.

Now that he was here, he scanned the building in front of him, taking note of the surroundings. The large, imposing structure reminded him of the slasher flicks he used to watch as a teenager. The kind of places that the audience groaned or shouted at the hero to not go in. A chill tried to work its way down his spine. He put a firm lid on it reminding himself that he had to find Henry and bring him home. Going in with no foreknowledge of this particular building or backup, it was important for him to identify potential hiding places, entrances and exits, security cameras and the like. It was times like these that he thanked God for the experience he gained as a beat cop then detective with the Boston PD before he left the force and struck out on his own as a PI. That background would surely be useful in getting to Henry.

Not seeing anything that stood out, and making a mental note of where Bubo had flown up to the building and disappeared, he checked that his piece was ready to rock in case of trouble and got out of his car. Securing the Glock in the shoulder holster he wore, he crouched in the shadow of the vehicle before he ran the fifteen or so feet to the side of the structure. Turning toward the lone door, he could feel the dark magic covering it. He could almost see the magic, even in the darkness, a slightly shimmering cascade that he hesitated to touch. Pushing back his exhaustion and gathering his courage, he reached out to touch the door and was amazed when his hand passed right through the magical barrier. The dark magic chilled him to the bone, but he turned the knob and found it unlocked. He figured the Dark One must not be too concerned about anyone getting past his magic.

As he opened the door, something oddly familiar awoke just under his skin. A humming that was strangely comforting. He remembered feeling something like it in the split second before his magic saved Emma underneath the cathedral the night before. _Could it be my magic?_ Closing the door behind him, he took care to stay in the shadows. The main space of the warehouse was completely empty, but he didn’t want to risk being seen by any cameras that might be hidden by the shadows near the top of the building. He stayed by the wall and made his way around to where the offices appeared to be on the other side. As he got closer, the humming became a full fledged vibration. A rustle from up above drew his attention as Bubo flew down. He held his arm out like he’d seen raptor trainers do and Bubo landed neatly on his offered limb. He wasn’t prepared for the sharp talons though, as they pierced the leather of his jacket. It was all he could do to limit the scream that wanted to emerge to a loud pain-filled hiss. His magic started to crackle at the ends of his fingers as he continued stealthily toward the offices. Bubo was not thrilled with the magic sparking so close to where he sat, so he took off again.

Killian finally came to the first office, but as he peered in through the open door, he saw nothing of interest. As he moved toward the second, lightning started to spark from his hands. Killian inhaled sharply as he saw that the door was closed and the sheen of more magic caught his eye. Henry was obviously being held inside. The disquiet he felt in his spirit only intensified as he got closer to the door. For someone who was so desperate to keep him away from Henry and this case, there was a disconcerting lack of trouble actually getting to the boy. Killian pulled his gun out. He wasn’t sure it’d be terribly effective against the Dark One, if he also happened to be in the office, but it certainly helped him feel better. Not quite so vulnerable. He may have his own magic, but he didn’t have the first idea of how to use it, especially not in a situation like this.

He looked in the window of the door to the office. On the other side of the room, he could see a small boy asleep on the floor, covered by nothing but his own clothing. Killian’s heart nearly broke before an anger he had never known completely overtook him. He held his left hand up to the door, and a surge of blue magic completely obliterated the magical shield and destroyed the door as well. The jarring racket was enough of a shock without the startled cry both from Henry and the other boy in the room. Killian hadn’t noticed the teenaged guard asleep on the plush sofa behind the desk when he looked through the window. Another surge of rage filled him at the mistreatment Henry had suffered at the hands of the Dark One and his teenaged cohorts. Before he could even think, another surge of magic pulsed from his open left hand toward the youth. He still held the Glock in his right, but in a corner of his mind, he was glad it was magic going off and not the gun. The teen was thrown back on the sofa and was completely frozen, rendered impotent in thwarting their escape.

Killian replaced the gun in his holster and approached Henry as Bubo flew in. “Bubo!” Henry cried. Bubo landed on the floor before him and turned his head to look at Killian. Henry looked up at the man standing in the doorway. Something about him seemed familiar, though he couldn’t tell what.

“Henry?” Killian asked. Henry nodded. “I’m Killian and I’m here to take you home. Will you come with me?”

Henry nodded and stood up. “I know,” he said.

Killian tilted his head, puzzled. “You know?”

“Yeah. Bubo told me.” He held his wrist out. “Can you take this off, please? It stops me from using my magic. I can’t remove it, but someone else can.”

“Sure,” Killian replied. He reached under the black cuff on the boy’s wrist and pulled it off. He held his hand out and Henry took it as they walked toward the door. Before they got there, however, a chill came over Killian that meant only one thing. He stopped and looked down at the little boy whose eyes shone with absolute trust as he looked back at him.

“We’ve got to get out of here quick, Henry,” Killian said. “He’s coming,” he looked back at the door, “if he’s not here already.”

At that moment, a purple cloud of smoke enveloped him and Henry and the next moment, they were back at Regina’s.

“Regina!” Henry cried, running into her outstretched arms.

“Henry!” she exclaimed, “I’m so glad you’re safe!” She held him close and Killian’s eyes filled with tears at the sight.

Regina looked up at him and mouthed a silent “thank you” as she continued rocking the boy back and forth. She released him and held him away from her as she quickly scanned him for any signs of injury.

Henry’s eyes sparkled with happiness as he turned back to Killian. “Killian saved me.”

A watery smile split Regina’s face. “I know,” she exclaimed, “I was watching him. And you were right, Killian,” she continued, looking up at him. “The Dark One was there. He was just outside the office. I didn’t want to risk a confrontation with him, so I just brought you back myself.” She turned her eyes back upon Henry. “Henry,” she said, softly, “there’s something I need to tell you.”

Killian suddenly remembered the events from earlier in the night and it was all he could do to remain on his feet instead of collapsing to his knees in despair. He’d been so focused on finding and getting Henry, that Emma’s death had been pushed to the back of his mind. Now it came back to the forefront and all he wanted to do was curl into a ball until his complete and utter heartbreak eased enough for him to go on. His jaw clenched and his eyes filled with fresh tears as Regina took Henry’s hand in her own and led him from the room.

They climbed the stairs to the bedroom he and Emma had shared the night before. She was laid out on the bed looking so peaceful he could almost believe she simply slept. Henry stared at his mother.

“Mama?” he said, in a trembling voice. He took a step toward her.

“The Dark One came last night to get the dagger, Henry. Before Killian came for you,” Regina whispered. “He and your mama fought hard, but the Dark One killed her before I could intervene. I’m so sorry, Henry.” Regina choked back a sob as Henry moved toward his mother. “But, there is a way to save her.”

Killian’s head turned sharply towards Regina. “What?”

“Killian,” she began, wiping away her own tears, “there is no doubt in my mind that you share a bond with Emma. A bond that I’ve never actually seen before, although I’ve heard tales...” She took a deep breath. “When you got back here last night, you were both so tired that there was no time to talk about what happened when you went after the dagger. But I could see the remnants of the magic you used while you were gone surrounding you. And as I said when we were talking about your magic, it would have only come to the surface in a moment of extreme emotional upheaval. Whether that was fear, love, joy, or sadness. Can you tell me what happened to trigger it?”

Killian’s agitation increased at her question. Why was she asking him this? What did his magic have to do with anything? Especially when there was a possibility that Emma could be saved. They were wasting time!

Regina’s eyes bored into his as she made a placating motion with her hand. “I know this seems random. But please believe me when I say, it truly isn’t. My question has _everything_ to do with saving Emma.”

Killian swallowed hard and looked down at Henry’s face. The little boy nodded at him, encouraging him to trust Regina and answer the question.

“We were underneath the cathedral, but hadn’t made it yet to the chamber of the dagger under Stonehenge,” he whispered, haltingly. “A teenager… kind of gangly, blonde headed, thin as a scarecrow, came at us with a sword.” He shook his head as the details came back to him. “Some kind of black, thick substance coated the tip. I would have guessed it was tar. But why would someone put tar on a sword?” He shook his head again, cutting off his rambling. “Anyway, he was coming for her and I threw my arm out to try and push her back out of his way. I remember feeling a tingling just before my magic shot out and sent him flying across the chamber.” He bowed his head in shame. “His head cracked against a column.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve never been responsible for the death of someone that young.”

“You’re sure he was dead?” Regina asked, her heart hurting for him.

“When it happened, we couldn’t stop. We had to keep going. But when we came back and he still hadn’t moved, I checked his pulse.” His eyes looked haunted, but his story confirmed her earlier thoughts. The manifestation of his magic at that time and under those circumstances told her that their bond was indeed True Love.

“You can save Emma, Killian,” she asserted.

Killian’s eyes widened. If the situation wasn’t so serious, she would almost laugh.

“How?”

“You saw how the Dark One removed Emma’s heart and crushed it.” He nodded. “Magic users can remove hearts. I can remove yours, split it, and put one half inside each of your chests. You have True Love for her, and that True Love should bring her back.”

“True Love,” Killian breathed, completely overwhelmed. He never knew that such a thing existed. But it would certainly explain the connection he felt with her and how and why he fell in love with her so quickly. Not to mention the way he felt about Henry, a little boy that he had met literally minutes ago. He shook his head again. He didn’t even have to think. “Do it,” he demanded.

Regina held her hand up and tilted her head to the side in warning. “There are risks that you should know about.”

“I don’t care about any risks,” he assured her, vehemently. “If it will save Emma, it’s worth it.” He looked down at the woman he loved on the bed. “She is worth everything,” he whispered.

The sun was rising and the bedroom was flooded with the morning light. Henry raised his hand to Killian’s heart. His palm glowed a vibrant gold color. A soothing warmth filled him. “You’ll save my mama, Killian.”

Killian nodded. “I will indeed, lad.” He looked at Regina again. “Do it.”

Regina placed her hand on his chest. She stared into his eyes, deadly serious before she pushed her hand into his chest cavity. The pain stole Killian’s breath, but he looked over at Emma on the bed and endured it as he felt Regina’s fingers close around his heart and pull it out. He caught his breath and beheld the glowing heart now in the palm of Regina’s hand. He looked back at Emma on the bed, and while he could still feel his love for her, it was muted. Regina looked back up at him.

“When your heart is no longer inside your body, all your emotions will be dulled. They’ll be restored as soon as it’s back where it belongs.”

Killian nodded. “This is going to hurt. Are you ready?” Regina asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” he replied.

Regina placed her other hand over his heart and twisted. A pain far worse than being shot burst through him and his knees buckled. He landed on all fours on the floor and looked back up. Both of Regina’s hands now held a piece of his heart. She knelt before him and placed her right hand at his chest again. She pushed into his empty chest cavity and he took a deep cleansing breath as the agony subsided.

“Can’t say as that’s something I’d ever want to repeat, love,” he quipped.

Regina let out a small laugh. “I should hope not.” She rose with him and turned to Emma on the bed.

She moved quickly and pushed her other hand into Emma’s chest. Everyone held their breath as they waited. When about twenty seconds had passed with no movement from Emma, Regina’s brow furrowed and panic started to rear its ugly head in his mind. Henry turned to Regina.

“What’s wrong? Why isn’t she waking up?”

At that moment, the bone chilling cold of the same dark magic that he had encountered just a short time ago came over Killian. He turned wide, alarmed eyes at Regina who stared at him with equal apprehension.

“He’s here,” they stated, together.

Regina waved her hand and the dagger appeared in her hand. She handed it to Killian.

“This is the only thing that can destroy him.” Regina’s eyes were wide with dread as she gave him last minute instructions. “As the Chosen One, it falls to you. As long as you hold it, you are master of the dagger. He can’t summon it to himself. Don’t lose your grip on it, whatever you do!”

Killian nodded. Regina continued as they all ran downstairs. “You may be untrained in magic, Killian, but your love for Emma has made you powerful. Use it! Magic is emotion. Keep your love for Emma at the front of your mind, and you can defeat him. Stay inside, Henry,” Regina said, turning to the boy. Henry nodded and he and Regina ran onto the back lawn where the Dark One waited for them.

“Ahhh,” he gloated, “You’ve brought me my dagger! How considerate of you!” He waved his hand and they were both frozen in place. Terror filled him as the demon strolled toward him. When he was so close that he could smell the fire and brimstone emanating from him, he felt the same sensation that he had just experienced at Regina’s hand.

The Dark One stood before him with his half a heart glowing in his hand.

“Interesting,” the demon cooed. “Only half a heart. Where is the other half?” he asked, speculatively, “Could it possibly be in the chest of your Twue Wuv?” he singsonged. He looked back at Killian and cackled. “But where is she? She’s not here, is she?” He got right in Killian’s face with such a face of gloating triumph that Killian felt sick. “No True Love’s Kiss, then? Awww, and that’s the only thing that can save her, isn’t it? Since it’s your heart, only your True Love’s Kiss will do.” Killian’s eyes grew wide as the beast’s statement registered in his panic. “But if I crush your heart,” he squeezed slightly, the pain overwhelming Killian, stealing his breath, “you can’t very well share True Love’s Kiss with her, can you?”

Rage filled Killian and if he could have spit in the creature’s face, he would have. But at least he knew why Emma hadn’t come back when Regina placed his heart in her chest. The kiss, _his kiss,_ was needed to bring her back to him.

“Fortunately for you,” the Dark One continued, “I can’t crush your heart as long as you hold my dagger. But I can hold your heart. For as long as necessary. I can leave you right here, frozen, until your death returns my dagger to me. But, I don’t want to wait that long.” He shrugged, in studied casualness. “So how about a trade? I give you back your heart so you can save your lady love, and you give me my dagger. The Dark One never breaks a deal, so you have nothing to fear and boy is obviously well protected, for now.” He sneered in Regina’s direction. “Do we have a deal?”

Killian’s brain worked furiously. It was an impossible choice. By releasing the dagger, the chances of being able to destroy him shrunk exponentially, plus, he was giving the monster exactly what he wanted, bringing him one step closer to being able to harm Henry. A very large step. But, he would be able to save Emma and surely, between the three of them, they could protect Henry. If he refused, the Dark One would simply hold his heart until his death returned the dagger to the demon and Emma would remain as she was, forever.

He cut his eyes toward Regina, her own eyes wide with realization. He tried to convey how sorry he was in his gaze before he turned his eyes back on the demon in front of him.

“I’m going to partially lift the freezing spell I’ve got on you now and you can give me your answer.”

Killian’s mouth and hand holding the dagger were suddenly free.

“Fine,” he gritted out. “You have a deal. My heart for your dagger.” He opened his hand and the dagger fell to the ground. The Dark One giggled and picked the dagger up from the ground. He looked back at Killian.

“A pleasure doing business with you, dearie,” he chortled as he all but punched his heart back into his chest. As soon as he had done so, he was enveloped in a cloud of grey smoke and disappeared.

The enchantment holding them frozen disappeared with him. Killian collapsed to the ground and Henry ran out of the house toward them.

“True Love’s Kiss, Killian,” he cried. “When you give Mama True Love’s Kiss, you’ll save her!” Regina ran over to him as he struggled back to his feet.

“Aye, lad,” he replied, somewhat out of breath from his ordeal, “Let’s go give it a try.”

At that moment, the Dark One again appeared in the yard, this time just behind Henry. He had not gone far and was simply waiting for Henry to leave the house so that he could strike. Regina screamed as Killian jumped in between the Dark One and Henry and tackled the demon. Regina grabbed Henry and ran for the safety of the house.

They crashed to the ground and the Dark One lost his grip on the dagger. As they rolled, each trying to gain the upper hand, Killian remembered what Regina had told him on the way down. That his love for Emma made him powerful and that if he kept his love for her at the front of his mind, he could defeat the monster.

Killian closed his eyes and let the love he had for Emma fill him completely. He pictured the dagger in his hand and the same moment, felt the instrument in his grip. His fist curled around it and he pulled the hilt toward his chest, the blade tilted slightly upward. The Dark One was on top of him now, their faces so close together that Killian could see the madness in his enemy’s eyes and then the grimace that crossed his lips as he felt the dagger pierce flesh.

The demon went limp on top of him. Killian pushed the dead weight off only to find the dagger buried in the Dark One’s chest. A dark swirling cloud poured out of the wound and coalesced around the dagger. After a few moments, the cloud, the dagger, and the Dark One, his unseeing eyes staring toward the rising sun, seemed to fold in on themselves, until with a pop, they were gone.

Killian got back to his feet and looked to where Regina and Henry had made it inside the house. He ran toward them as Henry barreled out the back door toward him. He caught him in his arms and spun him around, laughing at the little boy’s exuberance.

“You killed him,” Henry shouted.

“I did, indeed, my boy,” he said. “You’re safe now. He can’t ever hurt you again.”

“Thank God for that,” Regina agreed, hugging them both.

Killian held them both in his arms for a few moments, relishing the fact that they were all alive and safe. All except one. He looked back at Henry as he set him on the ground. “Let’s go save your Mama, shall we Henry?”

“Yeah!” Henry shouted, taking off for the house again. Killian and Regina followed him into the house and up to the bedroom where Emma still lay.

Killian entered the room after Regina and Henry. The morning light completely filled the room now and Emma seemed to be surrounded by a gold shroud spun from pure light. He had never beheld anything so breathtakingly beautiful. Everything faded from the periphery as he moved toward her. His heart raced in his chest and his breathing hitched as he beheld her. His True Love. He knelt beside the bed and took one of her hands in his own. His thumb rubbed over her knuckles as he leaned over her and pressed his lips to her own. It took only a moment before a rainbow burst fell over them and Emma took a breath and opened her eyes.

“Killian,” she breathed. Killian’s face split in the biggest smile he’d ever worn.

“Swan,” he exclaimed, gathering her in his arms, tears of joy filling his eyes.

She hugged him back just as fiercely before they were interrupted by Henry’s enthusiastic “Mama!” before he launched himself toward her from where Regina had held him near the door.

“Henry!” She caught him up in her arms, hugging him tightly. “I’m so glad you’re safe! I was so worried!”

“I know, Mama,” he exclaimed, “Killian saved me! And he saved you, too!” Emma looked back at him, pure love shining out of her eyes. He scratched behind his ear until he finally looked back at her. “He’s your True Love, Mama! He saved you with True Love’s Kiss! That means he’s gonna stay here with us!” Henry spoke a mile a minute in his unbridled enthusiasm. “Right, Killian?” Henry turned back toward him, expectantly.

“With your mother’s permission, lad, I’d like that very much.”

Emma beamed as she held out her hand for Killian to take. “I think we can handle that.”

Killian grinned widely as he took her proffered hand and bent over to kiss her again.

It didn’t take long for Killian to move his PI practice to Storybrooke where he courted Emma properly, much to the sheriff’s dismay. A year later, Killian and Emma were married, and a year after that, Henry had a baby sister to show off.

And they all lived happily ever after.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for coming along with me on this ride! I hope you enjoyed Rumple getting his and all the happy endings. I'd love to know what you thought!!!


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